EzraJackson
EZRA JACKSON is a Hoosier by birth,born in Scott county, February 26, 1823. His father, Samuel Jackson, wasa native of North Carolina, and his grandfather, Solomon Jackson, was probablya native of the same State. The grandfather was a powerful man and livedto the great age of ninety-eight years. He enlisted three different timesin the Colonial army during the Revolutionary war, the first two enlistmentsbeing as substitute. He served during nearly the entire war, and was veryyoung when he first enlisted. He was a shoemaker by occupation, but alsotaught school, and remained in North Carolina until the formation of theTerritory of Indiana, when he came there, too, and settled in what is nowScott county. He was thus one of the earliest settlers and pioneers ofIndiana. He bought land and lived there until his death. For many yearshe drew a pension from the Government for his services and patriotism duringthe Revolutionary war. He visited Schuyler county several times, but finallydied in Jefferson county, Indiana.
Samuel Jackson, the father of our subject,was quite a young man when he went to Indiana. He married and lived thereuntil 1829, and then, accompanied by his wife and five children, all drawnby two yoke of oxen, hitched to an old-fashioned wagon, came to Illinoisin search of a home. There was scarcely an inhabitant on the broad prairiethen, and not a laid-out road in Schuyler county. He located in what isnow Bainbridge township, moving into a vacant log cabin, which the familyoccupied for two years, buying in the meantime a tract of land upon whichwas a rude log cabin and five or six acres of cleared land, the remainderof the farm being heavy timber. There was little value then in standingtimber, no matter how large and fine, and accordingly the great trees werecut down, rolled together, and destroyed by the torch. This was necessaryin order to clear the land for cultivation. Upon this farm he resided untilhis death in 1839. He was an industrious, exemplary citizen, and an honorto the great and historic name of Jackson. The maiden name of his wife,the mother of our subject, was Esther Close, who was born within two milesof Albany, New York. Her father was a native of England, who came to Americaat the age of thirteen. He married a Connecticut lady, and came to Scottcounty, Indiana, in a very early day, being one of its pioneers.
Our subject, Ezra Jackson, is one of sevenchildren born to his parents, viz.: Zadok, Ezra, Calvin, Elizabeth, Jesse,Solomon and Mary J. When Ezra was five years of age, he was brought toSchuyler county, where he grew to manhood. He was reared on the farm, andremained there until the age of twenty years, when he commenced to learnthe trade of a cooper, after following which a few years, he conducteda hotel for one year in Frederick. In 1885 he bought property at the cornerof Liberty and Lafayette streets, Rushville, where he kept hotel for twentyyears. He then removed the building standing there and erected the brickstore building now occupying the site of the hotel. For some time he hasbeen retired from active business. He was married, in 1848, to Emily Brunk,who was born in Morgan county, Illinois, June 8, 1829, the daughter ofJesse and Eliza (Day) Brunk, natives of Kentucky, and pioneers of Morgancounty. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson’s living children are: Owen, Felix, Mary Ellen,Effigene, Martha and Frederick. Mr. Jackson is a Democrat in politics.
Biographical Review of Cass, Schuylerand Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical Review Publishing Co., Chicago,1892, pages 205-206.
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